Crime & Safety
Repeat Offender Arrested for Alleged Serial Sexual Groping
According to Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore, Guillermmo Merino has been convicted of forcible touching on three separate occasions in the past.
A 39-year-old New Rochelle man has been charged with four counts of felony Persistent Sexual Abuse for allegedly groping several victims last month, according to Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore.
Allegedly on four separate occasions, Guillermmo Merino grabbed the buttocks of several victims "without permission or consent, for the purpose of gratifying his sexual desire."
The all the attacks allegedly took place in New Rochelle, on June 18 at the intersection of Sickles Avenue & Prince Street, June 23 on Van Guilder Avenue, June 27 on Harrison Street and June 29 at Station Plaza.
No other injuries were reported, but Merino has been convicted of forcible touching on three separate occasions in the past, once earlier this year and twice in 2007, according to DiFiore.
Merino is next due in court on July 21. He faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison for each count.
Below is the full press release from Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore:
Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore announced that Guillermmo Merino (DOB 02/24/75) of 19 Washington Avenue, New Rochelle, New York was arraigned on a Superseding Felony Complaint charging him with:
Over a period of 11 days, in four separate incidents, the defendant inappropriately touched four women.
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The charges in this complaint stem from the defendant committing the offense of Forcible Touching - a Misdemeanor.
However, over the last ten years, if the defendant has been convicted two or more times of Forcible Touching, in separate criminal transactions and had been sentenced for one of the enumerated crimes, these subsequent charges are elevated to Felonies.
He was previously convicted of Forcible Touching on January 17th, 2014, June 15th, 2007 and on March 15th, 2007.
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The defendant was arrested by New Rochelle police on June 30th, 2014.
Bail was continued at $25,000 cash or bond.
His next court appearance will be on July 21st, 2014.
He faces a maximum sentence of four years in prison on each count.
Assistant District Attorney Michelle Lopez, Deputy Chief of the Sex Crimes Bureau, is prosecuting the case.
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